Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Official Athletics Website

Men's Golf In 10th Place At Bruce Fossum-Spartan Invitational

April 27, 2002

East Lansing, Mich. – The Notre Dame men’s golf team battled the cold, the wind and the rain on Saturday shooting rounds of 307 and 308 for a 36-hole total of 615. The Irish will go into Sunday’s final round of play in 10th place among 15 teams at Michigan State’s Bruce Fossum/Spartan Invitational.

Notre Dame trails tournament leader, Toledo, as the Rockets shot a 581 (286-295), with four golfers among the tournament’s top 10 players.

Toledo will go into Sunday’s final round of play with a 10-stroke lead over second-place Illinois after the Illini turned in a 36-hole total of 591 (293-298) on the par 72, 7,003-yard Forest Akers West Course at Michigan State. Tournament host Michigan State was third with a 598 (309-298), the University of Minnesota was fourth with a 599 (298-301) and Kent State rounded out the top five with a 600 after shooting rounds of 296 and 304.

Three golfers go into Sunday’s final round of play tied for first. Toledo’s Brad Heaven was the first round leader after shooting a three-under par 69, but followed that with a 76 for a one-over par 145. He was tied for first with Michigan State’s John Koskinen (78-67) and Illinois’ Garrett Chaussard (72-73). Five golfers were tied for fourth with 146 totals. The group included a pair of Toledo golfers – Sean McTernan and Kevin Kornowa.

Notre Dame’s five golfers struggled in the first 36 holes. Leading the way for the Irish was freshman Ryan Marshall (Marco Island, Fla.) who is tied for 23rd with a seven-over par 151. Marshall fired rounds of 75 and 76 and is six strokes behind the leaders going into Sunday’s final round.

Senior Steve Ratay (Arlington Heights, Ill.) is tied for 35th, eight strokes off the lead with a nine-over par 153 (76-77). Freshman K.C. Wiseman (South Bend, Ind.) is tied for 60th with a 14-over par 158 after rounds of 78 and 80 on the day.

Junior Brandon Lunke (San Antonio, Texas) is fourth among Irish golfers and is tied for 62nd after Saturday’s 36 holes at 15-over par 159. Lunke shot an opening round of 84 and closed with the team’s best round in the second round with a three-over par 75. Sophomore William McCaughan (Key Biscayne, Fla.) finished with a 162 total after rounds of 78 and 84.

Sunday’s final round of play is scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m. (EST) with a shotgun start at the Forest Akers West Course in East Lansing, Mich.

TEAM RESULTS (36 holes): 1. Toledo 286-295-581; 2. Illinois 293-298-591; 3. Michigan State 309-289-598; 4. Minnesota 298-301-599; 5. Kent State 296-304-600; 6. Northwestern 302-302-604; t7. Texas-Arlington 298-307-605; Iowa 299-306-605; 9. Xavier 298-308-606; 10. Notre Dame 307-308-615; 11. Eastern Michigan 311-306-617; 12. Michigan 307-313-619; 13. Indiana 305-315-620; t14. Ohio State 316-307-623; Wisconsin 314-309-623.

TOP 10 INDIVIDUALS (of 78): t1. John Koskinen (Michigan State) 78-67-145; Brad Heaven (Toledo) 69-76-145; Garrett Chaussard (Illinois) 72-73-145; t4. Matt Anderson (Minnesota) 74-72-146; Sean McTernan (Toledo) 71-75-146; Bjorn Widerstedt (Northwestern) 76-70-146; Kevin Kornowa (Toledo) 76-70-146; Chris Miller (Kent State) 72-74-146; t9. Eric Jorgenson (Michigan State) 73-74-147; David Jones (Toledo) 73-74-147.

NOTRE DAME PLAYERS (of 78): t23. Ryan Marshall 75-76-151; t35. Steve Ratay 76-77-153: t60. K.C. Wiseman 78-80-158; t62. Brandon Lunke 84-75-159; t72. William McCaughan 78-84-162.